24 Mar 2022
iPET Network co-director Fern Gresty says Level 3 Certificate in Dog Breeding, Litter Socialisation and Welfare will “try to enhance the knowledge of breeders even further” to improve knowledge and welfare.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
Sarah Mackay and Fern Gresty.
The training provider behind the UK’s first Ofqual-regulated dog breeding qualification is determined to improve health and welfare by upskilling current and future breeders.
iPET Network, which specialises in qualifications across the canine and feline sectors, has teamed up with an ethical dog breeder for the Level 3 Certificate in Dog Breeding, Litter Socialisation and Welfare.
The company said it is not seeking to promote breeding as a business opportunity, but does want to ensure those who do breed are fully armed with the skills and knowledge to do so ethically.
The new A-level-equivalent qualification will cover subjects from whelping to socialisation and is intended to allow would-be breeders to meet the relevant conditions to become a licensed commercial breeder under law.
Co-director of iPET Network, Sarah Mackay, said the course was aimed at candidates who wished to gain the skills and knowledge to breed responsibly, with the main focus going on the dog’s welfare.
Ms Mackay said: “It’s important that the candidates learn the skills and knowledge they need to raise litters using proven methods and socialisation and habituation, and making sure they can profile and match the puppies to the appropriate homes.
“Candidates just need to have an understanding and be confident that they are able to work at a level 3. The qualification is made up of three units: canine care and welfare during pregnancy, whelping and after care, and litter socialisation.”
Fellow co-director Fern Gresty said another aim of the course was to educate selected students to help ensure the overall pool of breeders was as informed on best practice as possible.
Ms Gresty said: “From a commercial point of view, dog breeding is quite a controversial subject. There’s a lot of unscrupulous breeders out there that the Government has tried to clamp down on with the legislation around becoming a licensed breeder.
“The qualification we have created is actually to try to enhance the knowledge of these breeders even further. In turn, the idea is that it will increase that knowledge and that welfare for all those animals.”
She added: “What we are not trying to do is promote breeding as a business. We do admit that it is – and it is big business for a lot of people – and we want people to know that it’s also about responsible ownership at the end of that.
“The boom in puppies has come from a demand, so it’s about making sure the owners go to the breeders who have got the right qualifications and are doing the best practice. It’s there to put the demand into the right places.”
iPET Network has teamed up with breeding and animal welfare specialists nationwide, and is on the hunt to recruit more experts in the field.
Rebecca Walters, who runs Pupstarts Breeders in Oswestry, is involved in providing the qualification.
She said: “We are so excited to be offering this qualification, and aim to upskill the dog breeding world by providing quality education and training to benefit the dogs of the future.
“Following the pandemic puppy boom, dog breeding has become a growth industry, which obviously creates welfare concerns.”
Commenting on the new qualification, Bill Lambert of The Kennel Club, said: “Today’s dog breeders have a number of different things to consider, including temperament, breed type and characteristics, health test results, genetic diversity, and general health of the parent dogs.
“Responsible breeders will ensure the health of their puppies and dogs is their number one priority, which increases their chances to live long and happy lives.
“Training that helps breeders to understand their responsibilities and learn more about dogs, health, pregnancy, whelping and rearing puppies can certainly be a good thing, but we recommend that anyone considering a course always checks the credentials of any training offers, particularly when it comes to breeding, where the responsibilities and considerations are vast.”
He added: “The Kennel Club, as the largest organisation dedicated to dog health and welfare in the UK, runs its own UKAS-accredited Assured Breeder Scheme, for those committed to doing all they can to produce healthy, happy puppies, as well as providing breeding, puppy rearing advice and resources online, and via The Kennel Club Academy.”
